Defeat terror group on the battlefield: defence chief

David Wroe

'A bunch of thugs': fighters from the Islamic State on the move in northern Iraq earlier this year. Photo: AP

Australia's defence chief has warned the brutal Islamic State group will sooner or later have to be defeated ''on the battlefield'' as the United States was reportedly preparing to ask Australia for help with air strikes in Iraq.

Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, told Fairfax Media on Wednesday that while the jihadist organisation was highly capable it was ''not undefeatable'' and added that Iraq needed to be given the military strength to defeat the organisation that has swept through large tracts of the country.

While stressing he was not foreshadowing any particular operation by Australia or its partners, Air Marshal Binskin also said that the problem was ''bigger than Iraq'' and that ''ultimately the issue of them operating in Syria is going to need to be contended with as well''.

His remarks came as The New York Times quoted unnamed US officials saying that Washington was looking for possible help with military operations both in Iraq and Syria and would probably include Australia among partners.

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Prime Minister Tony Abbott's office played down any prospect of immediate involvement by Australia. A spokeswoman said: ''At this stage the United States has not made any formal request of us.

"The Prime Minister has made it clear that Australia is ready to continue our humanitarian involvement in Iraq … To consider such a request from the United States, or other close allies and partners, there would have to be an achievable overall humanitarian purpose, a clear and proportionate role for Australia and a careful assessment of the risks.

''Australia is not considering putting combat forces on the ground (nor, for that matter, is the United States).''

Fairfax Media understands that Australia's Superhornet fighter aircraft are ready to be deployed if needed and using them for air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq is among the options being considered by the Abbott government if the request for help comes.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, meanwhile, confirmed that cabinet's National Security Council had considered a request from the autonomous Kurdish government in Iraq's north - a close ally of the West - for help with weapons supplies from Australia to fight Islamic State.

Air Marshal Binskin said the Iraqi government with international help would have to defeat the group and further efforts would be needed in Syria, which he called a far more complex challenge.

Branding Islamic State ''a bunch of thugs'', Air Marshal Binskin stressed that stopping IS would mean a political solution by Iraq in the form of a more inclusive government in Baghdad.

But he added: ''You will have to take them on the battlefield. There's no doubt about that. That's a part of their strength - their successes.

''They're highly capable, they are trained, they like to make this a religious quest and it's not. I don't believe any religion would accept them doing what they're doing.

''There's no doubt that they're highly capable but they're limited by the things that limit other forces - they've got to have a resource base, they've got to have a logistics base and the support base. And you'd have to think that's questionable for a long-term campaign. They're not undefeatable.''

Asked who should provide the military might to defeat them, he said it was a matter of ''giving the Iraqis the wherewithal to take them on in the battlefield''.

Attention would also need to turn to Syria, where the intractable, three-year civil war has fuelled the rise of extremist Islamic militants, notably Islamic State.